


The time Paradox

by Stand_with_Ward_and_Queen



Series: Initiative [2]
Category: Arrow (TV 2012), The Flash (TV 2014)
Genre: Character Death, Complicated Relationships, Consequences, F/M, Felicity Is Not perfect, Love Triangles, Not Canon Compliant, Time Travel
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-09-14
Updated: 2016-09-28
Packaged: 2018-08-15 02:26:23
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 2
Words: 1,779
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8038570
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Stand_with_Ward_and_Queen/pseuds/Stand_with_Ward_and_Queen
Summary: Sequel to 'Justice League initiative.' After returning to his own time after preventing the return of Savage, Barry learns of the consequences of his trip through time. As Teams Arrow and Flash are faced with threats from all sides, Barry attempts to come up with a way to save everyone.





	1. The new reality

Star Labs  
afternoon

Barry cautiously walked through the hallway, unsure. He had been so sure of his decision to go back in time before but now doubt was hitting him. What did he just do? Barry was in inner turmoil before he walked into the control room where all his doubts vanished. 

Cisco was at the computers, doing something when Barry entered the room. Cisco looked up and smiled at his friend as Barry entered the room.

"Hey man, how's it going?" Cisco asked as Barry walked.

"Same old same old. So how's it going around here?" Barry asked and Cisco grimaced.

"Just trying to keep busy, trying to keep my mind off what happened." Cisco said and Barry frowned.

"What?" Barry asked and Cisco looked at him in disbelief.

"You're kidding, right? Have you forgotten what's happening in Star City today?" Cisco asked, sounding almost angry.

"Let's pretend for a minute that I have.What's going on in Star City?" Barry asked.

Star City  
same time

Oliver and Laurel stood next to each other in the graveyard, offering moral support to each other. Felicity, Diggle, and Quentin stood a slightly away from them, neither sure how to comfort the two.

"And so, we lay our fallen sister, Thea Dearden Queen, to rest." The priest said as the coffin holding Thea's body was lowered into the ground. 

Central City police department  
later in the afternoon

"Allen!" Singh shouted as he walked into Barry's lab.

Barry, who had been sitting at his desk, thinking over what Cisco had told him, jumped at the sound of Singh's voice. Singh paused, noting how Barry seemed distressed and jumpy.

"Are you okay Allen?" Singh said, his tone softening ever so slightly.

"Yeah, fine. You wanted something Captain?" Barry asked trying to get a hold of himself.

"Yeah. That report from the robbery yesterday morning, do you have it?" Singh demanded.

"Yeah, it's uh," Barry tailed off as he looked around his desk for a moment before finding the object in question, "here it is sir."

"Thanks Allen," Singh said before looking over at Barry, concern shinning in his eyes, "Look Allen, I can tell something's going on with you. You should talk to someone, maybe a friend or family member, or it's gonna eat you up inside."

Once Singh had left, Barry considered his words for a moment. Then he took out his phone and went to his contacts. Finding the number, Barry pushed call before putting his phone to his ear.

"Hey, can I stop by later? I need to talk to you." Barry said.

Oliver's loft  
late afternoon

Oliver sat at the kitchen, a glass of scotch in front of him. Oliver was barely aware of all the people here, at Thea's wake, nor did he care. He had not really cared about anything since Thea died. 

Across the room, Team Arrow watched their leader in concern.

"I've never seen him like this before. Not even when his mother died." Diggle confessed.

"He's not talking to me." Felicity confessed, sounding displeased by this.

"His sister just died, he probably doesn't want to talk to anyone." Laurel said sharply and Felicity winced.

"Think he'd talk to me?" 

The three of them whirled around to see Sara standing behind them. Although shocked at first, Laurel reached out and wrapped her sister in a hug. Diggle smiled at her while Felicity's reaction was somewhere between surprise and irritation. 

"Dad called me when...it happened. I got here as soon as I could, how is he?" Sara asked as Laurel released her.

"He's barely said a word since Thea..." Diggle trailed off and Sara noded.

"What makes you think he'll talk to you?" Felicity's words came out harsher than she intended.

"Because I know him, understand him in a way none of you ever will. We both went through hell. I know you've all gone through some hard times, but it was not hell. What he and I have gone through is...unimaginable to most people. Because of that, I can relate to him on a level no one else can and it's the same for him with me." Sara explained.

Felicity was silent and not a word was spoken as Sara made her way passed them and towards Oliver. Oliver looked up as she walked up and sat down next to him. Not a word was spoken for a moment.

"I'm sorry I missed the funeral, I got here as soon as I could," Sara said and Oliver nodded silently, "so are you gonna drink that or just stare at it?"

Barking out a laugh-the first one he's had since Thea died-the slide the glass towards her. Sara picked it up and took a drink before setting it down. There was a silence between them.

"She's dead Sara," Oliver spoke softly, "My sister's dead."

"I know. I'm so sorry." Sara said as she reached over and took his hand. 

Oliver didn't face her, didn't even look at her, but he squeezed her hand and she did the same back.

Outside Central City  
same time

Barry sped up to the cabin and knocked on the door. The door opened and his father stood on the other side. Barry walked forward and hugged Henry as dad hugged him back.

"I messed up dad," Barry said against Henry's shoulder, "I did something, something that made my friend suffer...and I don't know how to fix it."


	2. Consequences

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Barry attempts to deal with the consequences of his actions as Oliver mourns his sister.

Henry Allen's cabin  
night

"So let me see if I got this right," Henry messaged his temple as he absorbed everything Barry had told him, "an immortal psychopath came back from the future to try and destroy humanity. A time-traveler traveled back and recruited you and other heroes to stop him and you succeeded but Cisco died in the process. So you traveled back in time to stop the rise of, Savage was it? and someone close to a friend of yours is dead."

"That pretty much covers it." Barry said glumly and Henry sighed.

"Barry...actions have consequences, especially messing with time. All I can tell you is that you have to learn to live with what you've done." Henry told him gently.

Oliver's loft  
same time

"It just...it doesn't seem fair that I can save the city but not the people I love." Oliver confessed as he set his drink on the table, beginning to feel buzzed.

"I know Ollie. I wish I could do something to help you through this." Sara told him.

"You being here...has helped more than you know." Oliver told her as he looked over at her.

Across the room, Felicity eyed the exchange with jealousy. Why was it so easy for Oliver to open up to Sara but he struggled to open up to her? Felicity took a drink of scotch as she steamed. 

Midway City  
later

After his talk with his dad, Barry had just taken off running. Somehow, he had ended up at a bar in Midway City. Barry had lost count of how many drinks he had had but, being a Speedster, it didn't affect him at all. Barry was drowning in his own guilt when a familiar voice called out.

"Barry?"

Barry turned his head to see his ex-girlfriend, Patty Spivot standing behind him. Barry sat there sunned for a moment as they stared at each other. Barry knew she had moved here after leaving Central City but it was a big city. He had not expected to see her again, even after he realized he had ended up in this city.

"What are you doing here?" Patty inquired.

"Long story short, I just started running and I ended up here," Barry said as he took a drink before putting his glass on the bar counter, "and you?"

"I was supposed to be out with friends but they all bailed," Patty frowned as she looked at Barry, "are you okay?"

"Right now, I am about as far from okay as I can get." Barry said as he laughed humorlessly.

"Barry...do you wanna get out of here, maybe talk?" Patty asked, worried about him.

Barry sat there silently, considering for a moment. Then he took out his wallet, put some twenties on the bar, and stood up. Patty mentally sighed in relief as the two of them walked out of the bar.

Oliver's loft  
same time

Oliver sat alone at the kitchen table after everyone had left, absentmindedly swirling his empty glass around. Hearing someone enter, Oliver looks up to see Felicity enter the room.

"So, you looked pretty cozy with Sara." Felicity said causally and Oliver narrows his eyes as he looked at her.

"Are you drunk?" Oliver asked.

"What do you care?! You can't open up to me but you can open up pretty easily to Sara! Why is that?!" Felicity demanded drunkenly and Oliver stood up, an angry expression on his face.

"Are you serious right now? My sister is dead Felicity, the only family I had left is gone, and you are whining about the fact that I opened up to Sara?!" Oliver demanded angrily and Felicity shrunk back.

"Oliver-" Felicity began but Oliver just walked passed her.

"I'm going out, don't wait up." Oliver said coldly as he walked out and slammed the door behind him.

Midway City  
later

"So...that's quite a story." Patty said lamely as she and Barry walked around town after Barry had told her everything.

"My friend's sister is dead because of me and I don't know how to fix it." Barry said glumly.

"Barry...I-" Patty begins but doesn't get the chance to finish.

There is a sound like thunder and the pair look up in the sky. There is a blue portal in the sky, not that different from the portal that the Injustice League had vanished through after the first battle. A creature comes out of it and Barry's first thought is that it resembles the Dementors from Harry Potter. It growls at him as it flies down at them. 

"Run." Barry told Patty before speeding off. 

Barry speeds through the city but the creature is gaining on him no matter how fast he runs. As he nears the edge of town, an idea forms. Barry runs in a large circle and the creature stopped, unsure of Barry's location. Once he had built up enough energy, Barry grabbed the lightning and threw it at the creature. The creature cries out in pain as the lightning hits it. After crying out in pain, the creature flies away and vanishes in a blue light. Barry stands there for a moment, wondering what the hell is going on.

**Author's Note:**

> So, what do you guys think? Please leave any thoughts or comments you may have in a review, feedback is greatly appreciated.


End file.
